General
Shettima Promises Better Environment For Private Sector
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Vice President, Mr Kashim Shettima, has said the private sector forms an integral half of the crucial foundation that holds the Nigerian government, noting that President Bola Tinubu is committed to creating an environment that fosters entrepreneurship and innovation.
This, according to him, explains why the president’s vision for Nigeria is grounded in eight priority areas, including poverty eradication, economic growth, job creation, and equitable access to capital.
The Vice President spoke on Thursday while commissioning some projects, including the Ijele 93.1 FM Radio Station, Phase Two of the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF) Touch-a-Life Housing Project, and the AEMSL Meter Factory, in Anambra State.
“This gathering is a reminder that the private sector forms the other half of the government’s crucial foundation. Whatever innovation we design, whatever ideas we explore, whatever interests we pursue, we cannot achieve our objectives if those for whom they are targeted are not carried along or in tune with our agenda,” he said in a statement.
“I am utterly proud to be here today, honoured and excited to witness the commissioning of these landmark projects. I am convinced that each of us understands the urgency of our collective actions”.
Mr Shettima commended Anambra State for its private sector-driven development, even as he pledged the federal government’s support in addressing the state’s ecological challenges.
Noting that Anambra State has emerged as a critical pillar in Nigeria’s economic future, VP Shettima also praised Governor Charles Soludo for his understanding of the importance of a thriving private sector.
He added that Mr Soludo has demonstrated a “vast understanding of our economic dynamics, not just refined in academic chambers but forged in the crucible of real-world challenges.”
Mr Shettima also commended the Chairman of Chrome Group and Founder of Sir Emeka Offor Foundation (SEOF), Dr Emeka Offor, for his contributions to the development of Anambra State.
Acknowledging his “innovation, determination, and audacious vision,” the VP said Dr Offor’s investments in Anambra State have helped to create jobs, improve infrastructure, and provide essential services to the people of the state.
“Dr Emeka Offor is a shining example of what can be achieved when the private sector and the government work together. He is a true patriot who is committed to making Nigeria a better place,” he noted.
Shedding more light on the crucial role the private sector plays in nation-building, the Vice President said the hope the Tinubu administration has promised to renew can only be realised in an environment that makes it easier to translate the ideas of pace-setting individuals like Dr. Emeka Offor into action.
Mr Shettima continued: “The profound partnership between the federal government and each state remains an indispensable cornerstone.
“I assure you that commitment knows no bounds when fostering an environment ripe for entrepreneurial growth and innovation. For it is in the nurturing embrace of this collaborative effort that the delicate balance between public and private sectors resonates, defining the trajectory of successful nations.”
The Vice President also had an aerial view of some gully erosion sites in the state and was briefed on the state government’s efforts to address the problem which has caused widespread damage to infrastructure and farmlands in Anambra State.
Mr Shettima pledged the federal government’s support to the state government’s efforts to address the problem of erosion. He said that the federal government will provide financial and technical assistance to the state to implement solutions to this problem.
The VP restated the federal government’s continued support for Anambra State’s economic development, saying the government will work with the state to address challenges such as gully erosion and improve road infrastructure.
“Anambra State is crucial to the economy of this country, and we are going to ensure interventions in this state, from economic support to infrastructure development, are geared towards sustaining its place as an industrial and economic powerhouse.
“We are aware of the daunting challenge of gully erosion with which the state grapples, a consequence of its loose ferallitic soil. We are aware of the communities that this menacing force has encroached upon. We are aware of the lives and livelihoods it has devastated and threatened.
“We are also going to make our interventions in boosting our road infrastructure projects stand as tangible testaments to our commitment to connect the South-East with other sub-regions of our beloved country.
“These initiatives aim not only to bridge geographical distances but also to knit together the diversity of our nation, fostering prosperity the people deserve.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The ward congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State on Saturday left several party members injured after a violence clash erupted.
According to reports, one of the injured persons was Mr Idowu Oyawale, who served as the campaign Director General of a House of Representatives member in the last general elections, Ms Tolulope Akande-Sadipe.
It was disclosed that he sustained severe injuries during the exercise and is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
The ward congress was organised by the ruling party to elect ward executives across the local government’s wards.
However, it was disrupted at Olomi Ward 7 by suspected heavily-armed political thugs allegedly linked to a member of the party.
It was claimed that the thugs invaded the congress venue at Olomi Basic School 1, dispersing party members and officials supervising the exercise, with stones, clubs and other weapons.
Eyewitnesses said tensions escalated unprovoked over delegates’ lists and ward executive positions. The disagreement reportedly degenerated into physical altercations before the violent attacks on some party members.
It was learnt that security operatives led a tactical team to restore order, peace, and disperse the attackers.
Reacting to the incident, some party leaders and elders condemned the violence, describing it as unfortunate and capable of undermining the credibility of the internal democratic process.
The leaders have called on party chieftains and President Bola Tinubu to immediately order an investigation into the violent attacks.
By Princess Yanney
One message stood out; one particular briefing gave clarity and hope for better days ahead. Africa will be heard; willingly or unwillingly, and the resolution thereof will no longer be a hope for years to come, but a reality to actualise. At a press conference during the 39th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama urged African leaders to adopt a common continental strategy on the legacy of slavery and racialised chattel enslavement, which he described as “the gravest crime against humanity.”
In this context, one must understand; Reparations matter because colonialism was not simply an episode of foreign rule. It was an economic system. African land was seized, labour was coerced, institutions were reshaped to serve external interests, and entire economies were redesigned around the export of raw materials.
Long before independence, the transatlantic slave trade had already stripped the continent of people, skills and social stability, creating permanent demographic and developmental damage. Colonial rule then consolidated this destruction into a durable global structure of inequality.
President Mahama explained that Ghana’s proposed AU resolution, which received broad support from member states, was carefully drafted with extensive consultations involving the AU Committee of Experts on Reparations, legal experts, academic institutions and diaspora organisations. He said the resolution’s wording was deliberately chosen to reflect historical accuracy, legal credibility, and moral clarity.
“Ghana has undertaken extensive consultations to strengthen the resolution. We’ve engaged with UNESCO, the Global Group of Experts on Reparations, the Pan-African Lawyers Union, academic institutions, the African Union Committee of Experts on Reparations and the African Union Legal Experts Reference Group. We hosted the inaugural joint meeting of the African Union Committee of Experts on Reparations and the African Union Legal Experts Reference Group in Accra earlier this month to further refine the text of the resolution. We also began engagement with the diaspora at the Ghana Diaspora Summit held in December last year.”
Hence, come March 25, the resolution will be presented by one man, who will echo the voice of millions of African people and people of African descent. Because truly, a united Africa demanding reparations is not an Africa asking to be included in an unequal system, but rather, an Africa asserting its right to help redesign it. President Mahama stressed that the initiative goes beyond symbolism, providing a legal and moral foundation for reparatory justice and sustained engagement with the global community. The resolution is designed to facilitate dialogue with the United Nations and international partners while affirming Africa’s demand for recognition and accountability for centuries of exploitation and injustice.
“Informal consultations on the draft text are expected to take place between 23rd February and 12th March 2026. Our objective is simple: to build a broad consensus behind this resolution. The initiative is not directed at any nation; it is directed towards truth, recognition and reconciliation.”
He reiterated. Truth is, a united Africa is a strong global force that cannot be stopped or interrupted. But a divided Africa is an Africa liable to imperialism and Western domination. It is therefore a priority for all African people to join hands and stand together to ensure the aims of these resolutions are achieved.
“We call upon all member states to support and co-sponsor this resolution. The adoption of this resolution will not erase history, but it will acknowledge it. The trafficking in enslaved Africans and racialised chattel enslavement were foundational crimes that have shaped the modern world, and their consequences continue to manifest in structural inequality, racial discrimination and economic disparity.
Recognition is not about division; it is about moral courage. Adoption of the resolution will not be the end. Following the adoption, Ghana will continue engagement with the United Nations Secretary General, the African Union Commission, relevant UN bodies and interested member states,” said John Dramani Mahama as he called for unity.
The importance of today’s reparations consensus lies in its recognition that Africa’s underdevelopment is not an internal failure to be corrected through aid, reforms or external advice. It is the historical and continuing outcome of dispossession. Reparations, therefore, respond to a concrete injury, not an abstract moral wrong. Again, Reparations matter because colonialism was not simply an episode of foreign rule. It was an economic system. African land was seized, labour was coerced, institutions were reshaped to serve external interests, and entire economies were redesigned around the export of raw materials.
Long before independence, the transatlantic slave trade had already stripped the continent of people, skills and social stability, creating permanent demographic and developmental damage. Colonial rule then consolidated this destruction into a durable global structure of inequality. Which is why today’s fight, today’s struggle, is of utmost importance. It is a correction of a historical inhumane error. One that has to be amended and corrected, beginning with recognition.
“This is about a sustained dialogue on reparatory justice and healing. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, this initiative presents us with a historic opportunity, an opportunity to affirm the truth of our history, an opportunity to recognise the gravest injustice in human history, and an opportunity to lay a stronger foundation for genuine reconciliation and equality. While the past cannot be undone, it can be acknowledged, and acknowledgement is the first step towards justice.” – John Dramani Mahama expressed to the media and all who were gathered to witness the briefing under the theme, “Ancestral Debt, Modern Justice: Africa’s United Case For Reparations”.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Christopher Maikalangu, as the winner of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) election, held on Saturday.
The results for the keenly observed municipal chairmanship poll were announced at the INEC area office in Karu at about 4:30 a.m on Sunday.
The Collation Officer for AMAC, Mr Andrew Abue, said that Mr Maikalangu, who is the incumbent AMAC chairman, was returned elected, having scored the highest number of votes cast, 40,295 out of the total number of valid votes of 62,861 in the election.
“That Maikalangu of the APC, having certified the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” he declared.
Mr Abue stated that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 3,398 votes.
According to him, a professor, the rejected votes were 2,336, and the total valid votes were 62,861, while the total votes cast were 65,197.
He added that the number of registered voters in AMAC was 837,338, while the total number of accredited voters was 65,676.
According to him, the scores of the political parties and their candidates that contested the AMAC chairmanship election are:
Agbon Vaniah of the Accord (A) – 403 votes
Nemiebika Tamunomiesam of the Action Alliance (AA) – 108 votes
Paul Ogidi of African Democratic Congress (ADC) – 12,109 votes
Richard Elizabeth of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) – 588 votes
Christopher Maikalangu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) – 40,295 votes
Eze Chukwu of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) – 1,111 votes
Chukwu Promise of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) – 122 votes
Ugoh Michael of the Action Peoples Party(APP) – 32 votes
Thomas Happiness of the Boot Party (BP) – 43 votes
Jibrin Alhassan of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) – 1,694 votes
Samson Usani of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) – 73 votes
Dantani Zanda of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – 3,398 votes
Iber Shimakaha of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) – 90 votes
Simon Obinna of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) – 2,185 votes
Madaki Robert of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) – 421 votes
Swani Buba of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) – 189 votes.
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